SINGAPORE, 14 July 2014 — Joyful Frog Digital Incubator (JFDI) announced today that it had appointed the first in a new network of “Ambassadors” to support the growth of startup communities across Asia. The Ambassadors will connect JFDI more effectively with existing startup groups and events in Thailand, Malaysia, India and Philippines, building on what local organizers have already created and sharing the opportunities and insights of JFDI’s mentors, investors and startup growth programs.
The JFDI Ambassador program is part of JFDI’s vision to develop startup communities across Asia. JFDI Ambassadors are passionate about growing their home country’s startup ecosystem and will leverage upon JFDI’s network to support local partners.
Hugh Mason, CEO of JFDI Asia said, “Startup ecosystems across Asia are so diverse and often have language and cultural complexities unique to their own. At JFDI, we find it imperative to listen before we speak – and that is exactly what we are trying to do with the Ambassadors network: to first understand local startup landscapes, before thinking of how we can contribute.”
The pilot batch of JFDI Ambassadors feature a diverse mix of entrepreneurs, professionals and students. They are Pitch Taniteerawong from Bangkok, Thailand; Timmy de Jesus from Cebu, Philippines; Mukul Pasricha and Yatin Thakur from New Delhi, India; Ryan Chong, Lio Yi Jun and Keith Tan from Kuala Lumpur and Penang, Malaysia.
The ambassadors recently joined JFDI in Singapore for its fourth Demo Day on 7 July and witnessed teams from their respective home countries pitch to an audience of global investors and media.
In upcoming months, JFDI Ambassadors will be present at local startup events to reach out to entrepreneurs and work with partners to explore potential collaboration. They will help to spread the word of local startup development programs, introduce mentors and investors, and help JFDI understand the needs of their local start up communities better.
JFDI Thailand Ambassador Pitch Taniteerawong with Sittiphol Phanvila, co-founder of JFDI alumni startup, Molome.Thailand JFDI Ambassador, Pitch Taniteerawong, will represent JFDI at the upcoming Startup Weekend Bangkok (Women’s edition). ” JFDI’s new frameworks for de-risking and accelerating innovation, teaching entrepreneurship, offers new opportunities for wealth creation. I believe JFDI can significantly increase the number of successful Asia-based startups in the next 5 years. It’s time to bring startups in Asia to the next level,” she commented.
India JFDI Ambassador, Yatin Thakur who is also co-founder of co-working space Moonlighting, said, “it feels like there is an opportunity both to help build local ecosystems and also to form a pan-APAC ecosystem that will learn from a Silicon Valley but be Asian in its values, located in Asia for Asia. We like globalisation but there is no need to repeat western colonisation all over again!”
Ambassadors will also share about JFDI Discovery, a monthly online program offered by JFDI to bring entrepreneurs closer to finding problem – customer fit. JFDI Discovery offers a taste of the JFDI Accelerator and features tools that help entrepreneurs learn about the customer development process and lean startup methodology.